06/06/2026
Sin Chew Daily (p. 6) 06/06/2026
[Translated to English]
Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) welcomed a delegation from the Institute of Transplant Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (GXMU), China. The delegation was led by Professor Dr. Sun Xuyong, Vice President of the hospital and Director of its Institute of Transplant Medicine, and was received by the Director of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Datuk Dr. Abd Kahar Abd Asis, together with members of the hospital management team.
The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University is one of China's leading centres for organ donation and transplantation. The institution has achieved remarkable success in organ donation, organ procurement and transplantation services. From 2021 to 2025, it ranked first nationally for the number of organ donation cases among single-centre institutions for five consecutive years and has become one of China's benchmark institutions in organ donation and transplantation.
The centre also successfully performed the world's first orthotopic liver-kidney transplantation and has since completed ten such procedures. This innovative surgical approach, known as the "Sun's Technique", was developed by Professor Sun Xuyong and his team. The procedure enables the simultaneous replacement of the liver and both kidneys in their original anatomical positions through a single surgical incision, representing a significant advancement in transplant surgery.
More recently, the centre achieved another world-first milestone by successfully performing orthotopic xenotransplantation involving a gene-edited pig liver and two kidneys transplanted into a human recipient, opening new possibilities for addressing the global shortage of transplantable organs.
The visit is regarded as an important catalyst for the development of organ transplantation services in Sabah and supports ongoing efforts initiated by HQE since 2024 to establish transplant services within the state.
According to Sabah Transplant Resource Centre, at present, organ transplantation services in Malaysia are largely concentrated in Kuala Lumpur. Patients from Sabah who require kidney or liver transplantation must travel to Peninsular Malaysia for assessment, treatment, and surgery. This situation not only imposes significant logistical and financial burdens on patients and their families but also creates disparities in access to advanced healthcare services.
Furthermore, when deceased organ donors are identified in Sabah, organs such as kidneys and livers must currently be transported to transplant centres in Kuala Lumpur, as Sabah does not yet possess the specialist expertise and infrastructure required to perform transplant procedures locally.
Sabah currently has more than 3,000 patients undergoing dialysis for end-stage kidney disease. The financial burden associated with dialysis treatment continues to increase annually. Kidney transplantation is widely recognised as the optimal treatment for end-stage kidney disease, offering better quality of life, improved long-term survival, and lower long-term healthcare costs compared to lifelong dialysis.
For patients with liver failure, liver transplantation is often the only life-saving treatment option. Without timely transplantation, many patients experience rapid deterioration and face a high risk of death.
During his presentation on the hospital's achievements, Professor Sun Xuyong noted that Sabah, with a pop**ation exceeding three million people, should have the capacity to develop its own transplant services to meet the healthcare needs of its pop**ation.
He further expressed the willingness of The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University to support Sabah through training programmes, technical assistance, knowledge transfer and workforce development initiatives aimed at strengthening organ donation and transplantation services in the state.
In his welcoming remarks, Datuk Dr. Abd Kahar Abd Asis stated that establishing transplant services in Sabah remains one of the hospital's key aspirations.
"It is our hope to realise this vision for the benefit of patients in Sabah. Through strategic partnerships with internationally recognised transplant centres, our healthcare professionals will have opportunities to receive specialised training and enhance their expertise in organ donation and transplantation. We look forward to a future where Sabahans no longer need to travel to Kuala Lumpur for transplant treatment and can enjoy equitable access to these life-saving services within the state," he said.
The visit is expected to pave the way for deeper international collaboration in organ donation and transplantation while laying the foundation for the establishment of sustainable transplant services in Sabah and improving access to high-quality healthcare for the people of the state.